"Getting that scar was the small price I had to pay to save you, and it was all worth it!"

Young Jeremy is dreading the approach of Parents’ Night at his elementary school. While the other kids, teachers, and even his own parents are getting more and more excited, Jeremy is hoping for some kind of fluke cancellation. The reason Jeremy’s going through so much stress over the event is because he’s embarrassed by a large scar covering half of his mother’s face. Certain that everyone will make fun of his mother—and himself by proxy—Jeremy sinks into a depression that is immediately noticeable. Deciding to learn what is bothering his son, Jeremy’s father asks him what’s wrong. Jeremy decides to be honest with his father and, in turn, learns a startling fact about his mother and her scar that changes his perspective completely.

There’s a heartwarming message to this story that will surprise anyone picking up this book and sharing it with their children. Though the specifics of the story are so unique that it will likely not apply directly to many families, the general themes of sacrifice and what a parent is willing to do for their children is nearly universal. Additionally, it teaches children to learn about their parents and the decisions they’ve made in the name of family, opening up lines of very valuable communication. There are richly-colored, well-defined illustrations throughout the book, and the story is brief enough for a single reading despite the number of pages. Children can often feel ashamed of their parents for various reasons, but this book will teach them about looking past the surface and loving people for their actions and not their appearance.

This review was written by a professional book reviewer with no guarantee that it would receive a positive rating. Some authors pay a small fee to have a book reviewed, while others do not. All reviews are approximately half summary and half criticism. The US Review of Books is dedicated to providing fair and honest coverage to all books.